Quilted portfolio tutorial or sewing a gift for a little girl

I made a notebook and pencil case for the little girl of my friends. I added to it even handles. She is six years old and loves to read and write. I think she will enjoy this little “bag” because anywhere she goes, she carries with her some books, notebooks and pencils…

This case has been made to comfortably fit A4-sized notebooks, an A5 notebook and a few pencils.

Size: 15″ X 25″ (unfolded) .

Let’s sew it !

Cut two rectangles (16″x26″) from two different fabrics and one piece (the same size) of batting.

I used cotton quilting fabrics and I fused a piece of fusible interfacing (medium weight) onto the back of one of the fabrics.

Make a sandwich from all the layers and quilt it.

Adjust the quilted piece to 15″x24.5″.
Find the center of the piece and stitch 0.25″ to the right and left of the center line (see the yellow lines).If you want you can add a monogram.I used Wonder Under to fuse the monogram to the quilted piece.Applique the monogram.The pocketsCut two pieces (9.5″x15″) from two fabrics; fuse medium weight interfacing to one of the piece.Make the ruffle
Cut a strip 3″x30″ from an accent fabric.

Fold and press the strip in half lengthwise with the wrong side inside.
Set your machine to the longest available straight stitch (mine is 6).
Run a stitch 1/8” away from the raw edges. Do not backstitch and leave the thread ends long.
To gather the ruffle, you’ll need to pull on the bobbin thread. Do not tug the thread too hard, or it might break.

Pin the ruffle to the longest edge of the fabric you want as front of the pocket and stitch using 1/8″ seam allowance. Do not catch in the seam 0.25″ of the ends of the ruffle.

Here is a detail

Lay the back piece of the pocket on top of the front piece+ruffle and pin into place. Make sure that the right sides are facing each other.
Stitch the long edges using 0.25″seam allowances.

Turn the piece right side out.

Topstitch over the ruffled edge.

Lay the pocket over the quilted piece. Align the bottom edge of the pocket with the left center seam. Topstitch close to the edges.

After the stitching is done, remove the excess of the ruffle.

Your piece should look in this way:

For the second pocket cut :
– two pieces 8″X9″ (interface one of them);
Stitch the two pieces together, leaving a long side unstiched.

Clip the corners,turn it right side out

press it well.

For the third pocket cut two piece 7.25″x5.25″ (interface one of them). Repeat the above steps but leave unstitched one of the short sides.

Fold a piece a fabric with right sides together. Trace the template. Stitch and cut out the shape leaving small seam allowances. Cut a slit into one of the piece of fabric and turn the piece right side out. Press well.

Place the pockets onto the quilted piece.

Stitch the pockets close to the edges (see the black lines in the photo below).
Make slots for pencilsDraw lines about 1.25″ apart (see the yellow lines below). Topstitch over these lines. Backstitch each stitching line to reinforce it.
Applique the heart shape.

Prepare the handles
Cut two strips (3″X 12″) of fabric.
Fold and press the strips in half lengthwise with the wrong side inside.
Open and press long edges to center. Fold again in half and press.
Topstitch along the edges.

Stitch the handles in place.

Bind the piece using a 2.5″ wide strip of fabric.

I love yo-yos and buttons… I use them whenever I can…

My gifts for a special little girl are ready to be shipped ! I hope she will enjoy these“Pockets with Love” too !

Hi Geta, this is a lovely tutorial, I'm going to make one of these1 I would also linke to link you on my other blog "http://a-tutto-zigzago.blogspot.com&quot;, … can I???Have a nice evening, hugs, Renata.

What a great idea, thank you! I'm going to make something like this for my granddaughter for when she goes places and has to wait, like restaurants and doctor offices. Maybe I'll make one side stiff enough to draw on. Cool!

I love it Geta, and so does my daughter, she wants one…..today!! Thanks so much for making such clear directions, as one other comment said, you could make one side stiff, maybe with a bit of cardboard inside so you could lean on it. What a great occupier for the kids when waiting with you for an appointment or in the car travelling….

I finished it today 🙂 I also bought some pretty pink pencils, a girlie notebook and some heart shaped paper clips, assorted color pens, to fill it up with. I think she will love it. Thank you for the tutorial!

Hi, I have stumbled across your site heaven knows how – but I find it HEAVENLY!!Thank you for sharing your knowledge so generously – you are a wonderful teacher. By your kind actions you are making countless people happy and become confident quilters. Your blog is a joy to wander through. Keep up the good work.

Thank you for this tutorial. I am a beginner sewer and I have been looking for a portfolio to construct. I will tweak the pattern a little for my cross stitch items to hold and cross stitch a few things on it.